Original subtitles

These stories are inspired by the actual case files of the Office of Scientific

Investigation and Research.

Is that good?

Oh, yeah.

Hey, kitty, you like my beef tenderloin, eh? It smells great, honey. Yeah, our

new friend likes my cooking. You're gonna feed that cat her dinner, are you?

You wanna try some?

I think I'll wait till it's cooked.

Ditto.

I'll get it.

Hello. Hey, Jeff.

Yeah, I heard.

I'll deal with it first thing in the morning.

Tonight. Head office said the numbers were fine.

Okay, all right, fine.

Listen, come by and we'll go over them again tonight.

Yeah, yeah, Frank's right here.

Oh, yeah.

Demonic possession, occupation of an individual's soul by the devil is a

primitive belief.

Yet despite centuries of social advancement, many still appeal to

demonic lore in explaining some disturbing and frightening events.

Paul Tanner, software developer, gourmet cook, proud owner with his wife Kelly of

a restored Victorian-era San Francisco house, is very much your modern man.

But when the foundations of his life were shaken by wrenching vision, fueled

through an image of the devil, everyone assumed that this force had set out to

capture his soul.

Was Paul Tanner battling an evil influence over the control of his

spirit? This was the question facing the OSIR in case number 67102.

Get away from me!

Father, you've got to help him. Mrs. Tanner, I've had very little experience

in these matters. There's been no time to prepare.

I'm begging you, Father, please.

We've tried everything.

We know your hidden sins.

Father, we see through your lies.

Listen to me before you listen well.

Almighty Father, grant strength to your servants to fight against this evil one.

I command you, O evil spirit, through God Almighty the Father, through Jesus

Christ, and through the Holy Spirit, that you depart. This is Basil Paul

Tanner, whom now you hold captive.

XC! XC!

XC!

Do not release him.

The devil may just be hiding.

Mr. Tanner, this is unlike anything that I have ever seen.

But I... I will do all I can to free his fellow.

Now I must talk to my superiors about this matter.

But perhaps there is another way to help.

Connor Doyle, case manager. File number 67102.

Day one. Tanner residence.

Initial sweep reports no anomalous energy fields.

Radiation levels are within an acceptable range.

No unusual environmental conditions that would precipitate the subject's

condition.

Perimeter secured, Connor.

Witnesses have signed releases.

They're ready to be interviewed.

Then let's get started. All right.

I don't know. What do you want me to say? I mean, I know these people about

six months now.

They're good people.

Lately, you can sort of get a sense that it's coming on.

But the first time that it happened, there was absolutely no warning.

Well, I'm not an official exorcist in the eyes of the church, you could say.

Beyond my field of expertise.

It's like he caught it or something. He's screaming.

He starts throwing lamps around. He goes completely nuts.

But it kept happening.

And the last thing that I wanted to think about was that he was possessed.

I understand that when you enter a room and the devil...

Is there, yes.

You can feel a presence.

It's just horrible. He, one minute Paul's fine, and the next he's this

monster that, that I don't know.

That I don't know.

I have, I have like a, a sensation that I've done something

horrible. With Paul Tanner, I couldn't, I couldn't directly think.

This kind of evil.

And after trying unsuccessfully to exorcise the demon,

it was decided that we should contact your office and see if you people could

help in this matter.

I brought him to the hospital to have our doctor run some tests on him.

And he ran a lot of tests on him, but he came up with nothing. What do you do

when you're a friend of your own husband?

I have no...

recollection of it other than it hurts.

I have no control.

I can't explain it.

Could I have some water?

Case file update.

The witness to the episode, one Frank Kelterborn, a friend of the Tanner

family, will remain on site for the duration of the investigations.

so as to maintain a controlled environment.

Dr. Corliss, OSIR team psychiatrist, continues with her psychological

assessment. She will hypnotically regress Paul Tanner to try to obtain a

clear account of the claimed occurrence.

He's exhibiting tremendous physical and mental stress.

Paul, remember, you are relaxing.

Relaxing.

Can you take us back to May 16th at 8 p.m.? Where

are you?

My house.

The living room.

Who is with you?

What do they want?

My soul.

They want to take me.

I'm back. Now.

File number 67102, day two.

Environmental assessment complete.

Data pouch containing air, water, and soil samples being sent to headquarters

for further analysis.

Thus far, all baseline results are normal.

Proceeding with on-site surveillance of the Tanner house.

His account of the episode is a delusional reverse of the other

witnesses. Could he be suffering ongoing mental problems?

I don't think so. This is more like a localized traumatic reaction to

something. There's no history of mental illness.

What's he reacting to?

Background archival and field checks reveal nothing unusual.

What else is going on here? What about his job, his relationships?

Well, Tanner's heading up a bid for a large software contract.

It's not going particularly well.

Maybe he's a nervous breakdown waiting to happen.

That doesn't mesh with his psychological profile.

He's absorbed by his work, not overwhelmed by it. So why the psychotic

episodes?

Sounds like post-trauma disorder.

Except there's no evidence of any trauma in his life.

What about Father Martin?

Well, although he's not an experienced exorcist, he did follow the strictures

of the church closely. Now, apparently Tanner's spoken tongues foreswore all

religious artifacts.

Does Father Martin think Tanner's possessed?

He says he's never seen anything like it.

Connor. Yeah? You guys better check this out.

Surveillance cams, have them at sector nine.

Turn up the audio.

Kill the sound.

All this extreme behavior for marital stress?

It's a variable we'll take under consideration.

Regardless, I don't believe the combination of marital and professional

stress could account for Paul's episodes.

People, we have a situation developing.

I deny you!

I deny you!

I deny you!

You are one of them!

And in five, four, three, two, one.

Let's get him upstairs.

I'll find a man to watch him tonight.

You'll be okay.

Case file update.

I remain very concerned that Kelly Tanner has also experienced an

unexplained violent episode.

Dr. Corliss's medical examination of the Tanner showed that Paul Tanner suffered

a dislocation of his left shoulder during the struggle with the team.

For their own safety, they've been sedated and are being kept under round

-the-clock watch.

Blood work from the couple has been sent to the OSIR labs.

We expect results in 24 hours.

Is this phenomenon spreading?

Hard to say.

Classical possessions rarely involve more than one subject.

Could it be a form of schizophrenia?

Not likely.

The psych assessments we did would have turned something up.

And we basically ruled out psychological stress as a source.

So, any possible transference of Paul's behavior onto Kelly doesn't track.

We need more data.

Donna, keep digging.

Remember, the exorcism eased Paul's pain earlier. At this point, anything's

possible.

Let's keep that in mind.

Can't leave the house. Oh, come on.

Just give me an hour alone.

I'm sorry. It's a controlled environment.

It's all right, Donahue.

What's the matter, Frank?

I'm just going a little crazy in that house.

Yeah. I can get to you sometimes.

It's a house killing pole.

They're resting for now.

Look at that, sir.

I'm not very religious.

The disinvasion of a demon into the human body and soul.

You're worried you'll be next.

I mean, if it's spreading.

The chances of a demonic possession being transmitted are remote.

Relax.

Sure, I've heard things late at night from the Tanner house.

Screams and things breaking. That is one marriage from hell.

What about strange lights?

Fumes? I'm talking screaming, okay?

Hasn't been this nutty around here since the quake 89 when it knocked down nearly

all the chimneys on this block.

Do you know the Tanner's neighbors?

I haven't been able to contact them.

No, I've never seen him. Sorry, but if you do could you tell him to mow their

lawn?

What are we looking for you may want to bring in a structural engineer It isn't

my expertise

But a neighbor mentioned shifting from tremors.

Still, that doesn't explain what's going on.

Do you feel a breeze, Donahue?

Yeah.

Over there was a gap in the wall.

It's a good thing you've had all your shots.

Who said I had a way with animals?

Hey, hey.

We're going to make it through this.

Kelly, how you doing?

I'm exhausted, but we're fine.

Yeah, we're feeling better.

I'm glad to hear it.

Oh, man.

Did I really do all this?

Apparently, you did.

God, I don't remember a thing.

When is this going to stop? I'm scared.

Donahue, do you read? What's your 20?

Donahue, Donner, come in. We're in the basement. Possible code red. Repeat,

possible code red. Stay here.

He just collapsed and started having a reaction.

Code red, Donahue's down.

Stay back!

I can feel it on my skin.

Oh, my God, the sound!

Crimson, so crimson.

It tastes too bright.

Ray? Ray, it's us. Too red?

Stay back.

Stay back.

It's got me too.

Case file update, 1740 hours.

Still no evidence to suggest how this phenomenon is being transferred.

Team chemist Sandra Miles will compare the Tanner blood samples with those

drawn from security coordinator Ray Donahue.

I've got it. Blood work's back from headquarters.

Do you have an ETA?

Time.

Damn. There's nothing.

There's no traces of any foreign substances.

Wait a minute. What did Donahue say before he went down?

Something about colors.

He said...

Sounds crimson, tastes red.

Could be synesthesia. I'll run an ultraviolet filter on the samples.

Sergic acid tethylamide?

LSD?

Exactly.

Sometimes when you're on it, your senses can blur you, hear colors and taste

sounds. Why didn't we pick up the drug before?

It must have metabolized completely before our full talk screen caught it.

You see, the tanners have it also.

We relied on the family doctor's report for the initial analysis, right?

They must have done a very basic drug test and missed it too. It still doesn't

explain the violent behavior.

If you don't know that you've ingested the drug, you can panic under its

effects. So they were having bad trips.

Now we just need to find the mode of transference.

Oh, they could have picked it up a dozen different ways.

The most common is absorption through the skin.

We should check everything in the house.

If we use a UV illuminator, we'll be able to pick up any traces on a scan.

Let's run full environmentals on the house again.

0200 hours, day four.

We're undertaking a full reassessment of all environmental tests, but now we have

a more specific target to look for, LSD.

In its pure state, the drug should register as fluorescent on our scans.

Start ultraviolet illumination.

We have your video feed now, Connor.

Moving through the front of the house.

We're picking up something to the west.

That would be... The dining room. I copy.

Proceeding into the room.

Wait a second.

Our readings have just risen substantially.

Affirmative. My readings concur.

Looks like our feline friend here is the perpetrator.

The damn cat is toxic?

It makes sense, Ray. The cat could be the common denominator.

All three subjects came in contact with it prior to their aberrant behavior.

Looks like we found our mode of transference.

Okay. Have the cat come in contact with the chemical.

Scope probe in progress.

Visuals up momentarily.

Homes in this block share the same roofs, piping, other structural

elements.

Shifts in the foundations from earthquakes and tremors made for some

kind of crawl space, big enough for a cat anyway.

We're clear.

It's a drug lab.

Apparently, the cat found its way into the drug lab and was contaminated with

highly concentrated dosages of a chemical in its raw liquid state.

Anyone who came into contact with the cat's fur was contaminated with LSD.

Ironically, cats are unaffected by LSD, just as humans do not respond to catnip.

The manufacturers of the illegal drug were arrested and charged.

The tenors...

have remained together and report no further incidents of aberrant behavior.

This is Case Manager Connor Doyle, closing file number 67102.

So the

devil

Paul and Kelly Tanner fought was not a demon of ancient superstition, but one

created by pharmaceutical technology.

Fear and paranoia, however, often coupled with a strong religious element,

are relatively common responses to psychotropic drugs.

A remarkable example might be the hysteria of the Salem witch hunts of

1692, which some historians propose was caused by the ingestion of ergot fungus,

the derivative being LSD.

Scientific investigation offered the Tanners a conventional explanation of

the events in their home, but to Paul and Kelly, that there was a rational

cause did not make their visions any less terrifying, any less real.

What a bloody useless waste of time that party was.

Now, dear, you've always told me it's the price of doing business.

Price of doing business.

Next time I see that Ralphie Fennec and his stuck-up business partners, I'd like

to put him in law for up his backside.

Try and keep at least one eye on the road.

Do you see that?

What?

Up ahead on the road.

I could have sworn...

Are we expecting a storm tonight?

The road, dear. Watch the road.

Out of the

way.

Are you deaf or something? In the name of God, help me.

Time travel.

It's a concept that captivates our imaginations.

For science fiction writers, time travelers are usually depicted as

courageous adventurers, willing to conquer an unknown future or alter a

troubled past.

But what of the ordinary man, snatched from his own time and thrown into an

unfamiliar future, there to be tortured by the loss of his family and tormented

by a strange and threatening world?

Within 36 hours after the discovery of a disoriented man in the English

countryside, the Office of Scientific Investigation and Research was on site

attempting to determine whether his ravings were the delusions of a madman

or the desperate pleas of a reluctant traveler, a man out of time.

Number 10103, Connor Doyle, case manager, day one.

Subject found wandering on a road in Spotswood, Bedfordshire County, England.

Preliminary evaluation by Dr. Robert Steen led him to transfer the patient to

the McMartin Institute, a local psychiatric facility.

Upon reviewing the police report and the subject's statement, Dr. Steen contacted

the OSIR.

Professor Doyle, I presume? Dr.

Steen? Welcome to the McNaughton Institute. I appreciate your

cooperation. We'll need a complete list of everyone here who's had contact with

the subject, the police reports, clothes, personal effects, whatever you

require.

According to Dr. Steen's report, the subject is stable but confused.

She can apparently communicate in English, but the dialect is obscure. Ms.

Donner will have to identify its origin. I've read Steen's report.

This, uh, who's he saying he is? Anrahan. Anrahan.

His story isn't clear. It's quite simple.

Mr. John Hanrahan purports to have been on his farm one minute and facing a

metal beast the next. Metal beast?

An automobile, a couple driving home.

The Boswells. Their statement wasn't very extensive. We'll have to talk to

them as well. Let's check it out.

Hopefully we haven't come a long way for nothing.

Mr. Hanrahan, we want to help you.

I beg of you, whatever manner of apparition there may be, please, I am a

sport nightmare.

Return me to my rightful home.

Mr. Hanrahan, we must ask you some questions. I will know and explain what

has happened.

Donner, can you identify the dialect?

It's close to Irish, but there's something missing.

Please, sir, could you slow it down a bit?

Speak more slowly.

I want to know.

were driving home from Hartfordshire.

It was rather late.

He looked like something one sees in those bar museums.

I believed it to be a great hat, until he became hysterical. He had no

identification of any kind.

We did a background check on him, found no record of the man at all.

No fingerprint matches, no missing person matches.

He even did a check for dental records.

It's the strangest thing. He had those big socks.

I mean, everyone had dental records. He was quite consistent. There were several

interviews.

It isn't every day that a man appears claiming to be from the 17th century.

What is your name?

I be John Hanrahan of Bedfordshire, sir.

And what is your current age?

I am five and thirty years.

Where do you live?

Me farm be near the town of Spotterswood.

Date of birth?

I was born 5 April, in the year of our Lord.

6912.

How did you get here?

I do not know that, sir.

God help me.

Physiological tests on the subject reveal no trace of modern bacteria or

synthetic antibodies in his system.

That's remarkable.

It's not impossible.

If he's from a remote region of the Earth, this system could be this clean.

Peter?

There's no environmental anomaly in the area. There's no hazardous waste.

There's no toxic gases. There's no abnormal concentrations of energy

fields. It's all clear.

Ms. Donner?

The subject's accent and speech patterns are unusual.

It's not Irish, as it turns out.

In reviewing the tapes, we've concluded that the speaker is either from a remote

area of the Cotswold upland or...

He has language patterns inherent to a Bedfordshire farmer from the 1600s.

Interesting. There's more.

According to local archives, a farmer by the name of John Hanrahan did exist in

Spotswood between 1612 and 1647. The subject could have had access to this

information?

It would have taken some work, but... So the probability of a hoax remains high.

As we've discussed, I'm starting a covert investigation into the local

homesteads in the area. Try to cross-reference the archival findings.

Good.

Dr. Hendricks?

He's still quite distressed.

Repeated DEP testing was required to interpret his psychodynamics, but all

the data we've collected so far backs up the subject story.

What about regressive hypnosis results?

No luck yet.

Haven't been able to get him to relax enough for pre-conscious state.

Do whatever it takes to put him under.

File number 10103, case manager Connor Doyle.

Day four, 0700 hours.

Regrets of hypnosis may reveal what happened to the subject on the night in

question.

Tell me, what do you fee?

May farm.

I must clear the path.

Why?

A tree has fallen from the storm.

When was the storm?

The night last.

The blood.

What is it?

A light.

Tell me what's happening.

What do you see?

A pebble in the water, but there'd be no water.

It surrounds me.

Help me.

Help me.

Please continue.

It is vanished.

My house, my family is gone. What do you see?

I'm in the field.

looks different.

Where am I?

Where am I?

We really appreciate

you taking the time, Mr. Pletcher.

This is a very important project for the University's Historical Society.

Always glad to help maintain our heritage.

The main house was built in 1809.

And prior to that, what was here?

Just farmland.

Tea?

Yes, thank you.

You mean you think it's him.

Point taken.

Shall we maintain our cover?

Don't tip them off just yet.

Find out what you can about the family history.

Hold on.

Genealogical trace report indicates the Lesters are the descendants of one John

Hanrahan.

This is my daughter, Megan.

And I found the family tree you asked for.

If I may ask, who's the rather striking figure in that portrait?

That would be Sir Stuart Lester.

It was painted by a local artist in 1731.

Sir Stuart established the first barley mill in this region in 1702 and was

knighted by Queen Anne.

And who were Sir Stuart's parents?

Well, Sir Stuart's mother, Regina, was orphaned at the age of seven.

After her father disappeared and her mother died of consumption.

She was raised by an aunt.

You wouldn't happen to know the name of her father, the one who went missing?

Oh, he didn't go missing. He ran off, apparently to America.

Really? Now, now, Megan, that's just folklore.

The truth is that no one knows why John Hanrahan left his family.

He's exhibiting all the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

He doesn't even comprehend what may have happened to him. But he is starting to

trust you.

Absolutely. I got the lab report here on the subject's clothes and personal

effects.

They appear to be authentic, but not vintage.

What are you saying?

I'm saying the fibers match the fibers of the period, but they haven't aged

more than five or ten years.

That would be difficult to do.

It might be possible.

I'm going to talk to Mrs. Lester myself, explain our situation. I'll try to get

the family's cooperation.

This is absurd.

I know how this sounds, Mrs. Lester.

Are you implying this man is actually the John Hanrahan?

That's rubbish.

There is some evidence supporting his claim.

What might help is a comparative DNA test.

I've heard quite enough.

I think it's time for you to go.

Please, think about it.

Let's dig deeper into Mrs. Lester's past.

Family records, conflicts, power struggles.

Excuse me.

What is it, Megan?

I must apologize for Mother.

She can be very close-minded.

You understand that we are trying to help, Megan.

Professor Doyle, this man, could he really have traveled through time?

That's what we're trying to find out.

And that DNA test you mentioned, that would help your investigation.

Yes, Megan, it would.

Case file update, 1900 hours.

The results of the DNA tests of the subject and a possible descendant show a

consistent match.

Well, here's this coffee you've become so fond of.

Thank you, sir.

Mr. Hanrahan. Sir.

Call me John, if you like.

It'd be the name me friends call me by.

John.

What do you think of everything you've seen?

I see miracles and curses.

I see evil men.

And I see saints.

These are religious terms you're using.

Is that exactly what you see?

Quite so, sir.

I know now that I be in purgatory.

Limbo to either the gates of heaven or hell's damnation.

You think that you're dead?

That I have no doubt.

And you, sir, are my judge.

To see fit where I spend my eternity.

John, assure me the rules, sir.

I will do well by you. I swear to that.

You are a good spirit.

And you will show me my way to the angel's chorus.

But I'm not an angel.

Or a saint.

I'm a man.

A doctor.

I can tell by the very glow in your eyes.

that you have knowledge of the vast unknown that is man's final journey.

I know you will show me the way.

This is the current map of Bedfordshire County. The transparency is a map from

1638.

Now, this is Spotswood, where Hanrahan's property would likely have been, and

this is where the Boswells found him.

It was a property area covered by our initial assessments.

We ran all possible on-site tests. They all came up negative.

You know, it would be helpful if Mr. Hanrahan could show us the exact spot

where he appeared.

Run some tests with the subject present.

That's what I'm thinking.

John, we need you to show us the place where you found yourself after seeing

the bright light.

I do not know if I can, sir, but I will try my best.

Thank you, John.

You'll be testing me again, sir.

I shall win over your favor if it take a thousand years.

John, you are not dead.

And I'm not the guardian of the heavenly gates.

Do you understand?

We are... We are... I'm trying to help you.

You already have.

Still reading baseline level. Thank you, Professor.

Biophysical readings?

Blood pressure and heart rate accelerated, body temperature raised.

All indicators appear normal.

May land.

May home.

I built this dovecote with my own two hands.

I know it well.

There's nothing more we can do

here.

Then I failed them.

All is lost.

Come back!

along, Mr. Hanrahan.

I'm sorry.

All geophysical scans are negative.

There's no displacement of matter or time in the estate.

Any theories?

Well, that's hard to say.

Subconsciously, he could have transported his corporeal state

subatomically from one point to another.

Psychokinetic vortex theory.

What about corporeal duplication, a form of reincarnation? Through subconscious

compulsion, he gains an ethereal awareness of a past life and synthesizes

it into his current one.

We just don't have the evidence to support a scientific theory.

And since we don't know how to return him to his home if he is from the past,

we have an obligation to help him adjust.

Andrew Hand is still suffering from some highly traumatic experience.

Our focus should be counseling.

I'd like to see him moved to some friendlier surroundings.

I'll take it up with headquarters.

You should lift his spirits.

He'll be only too glad to leave this dungeon behind.

Do you want to lock the door?

Red, get a team up here. Code red. Over.

File number 10103.

Professor Connor Doyle. Final case log.

An autopsy was performed on the body supporting the theory that John Hanrahan

lived nearly 400 years ago.

Cell structure, stomach enzyme analysis, and blood count are consistent with that

of a 17th century adult male.

As for how he came to appear in our present, we can only speculate that he

encountered a phenomenon which instantaneously brought him forward in

time.

This phenomenon, whatever it may be, remains unidentified.

They're good children.

Doyle out.

I missed them.

And your wife?

Oh, Marianne.

My sweet, precious Marianne.

She had the bluest eyes, sir.

I long to see my farm again.

To watch my children play.

My sweet Marianne.

Will I ever see you again?

The Office of Scientific Investigation and Research discovered no conclusive

evidence of how John Hanrahan's unhappy journey occurred.

But if, as the work of Einstein, Rosen, and Hawking suggests, the fabric of

space and time is one which can be bent, then perhaps he was unlucky enough to

stumble through a compressed fold in that fabric.

Whatever the reason, Hanrahan's tragic experience is a disturbing antidote to

science fiction's premise that time travel is an exciting and glorious

adventure. I'm Dan Aykroyd for Cycloid.